Injury woes mount for Dundalk ahead of Wexford clash

Dundalk FC have been dealt a series of injury blows ahead of their return to SSE Airtricity League First Division action, as they welcome Wexford to Oriel Park this Friday evening (kick-off, 7:45pm).

Their defensive line has been significantly weakened, with Mayowa Animasahun set to see a specialist for a hamstring injury, and Ethen Vaughan’s comeback further delayed by ankle trouble.

READ NEXT: Dundalk add firepower with Rohan Vaughan signing

Adding to their concerns, both Sean Keogh and Sean McHale are injury doubts after being forced off during last Friday’s 2-0 Sports Direct FAI Cup loss to Sligo Rovers, prompting the early return of Conor O’Keeffe from a two-month absence.

“It’s not been an easy week,” said Kilduff. “Defensively, we lost Mayowa early in the week with a hamstring issue. The scan wasn’t perfect.

“He himself will tell you he’s fine, but the scan would say otherwise, so we’re trying to dissect him, and we’re seeing a specialist early this week just to finally make a call. But if we’re going by the scan, he’ll be looking at a couple of weeks.

“Ethen Vaughan broke down with an ankle injury after coming back and playing early in the week. You lose Sean McHale after 20 minutes, and then you lose Sean Keogh at the end of the game.

“The physios are on overtime now, and it’s all always in the one area. Mayowa might have a bit to go yet, but Conor O’Keeffe coming back—he was thrown in the deep end—he did three sessions for the first time this week and then moves on. We’ll have to reassess everyone, especially in that unit.”

Following a 2-0 defeat to Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds in their most recent league outing, Dundalk—who sit four points clear at the top of the First Division after 23 games—now prepare to welcome sixth-placed Wexford to Oriel, having already recorded two victories over them this season: a 3-0 home win in March and a 3-2 triumph at Ferrycarrig Park in May.

Since Wexford’s introduction to the League of Ireland in 2007, the sides have faced each other 16 times in competitive action, with Dundalk emerging dominant—The Youths claiming just a single victory, back in 2008, and still searching for their first ever win at Oriel.

“There’s no point in lying, there’s a little bit of a confidence issue now as well, where lads are feeling a little bit under pressure to deliver, but that’s why you’re here,” said Kilduff, as he called on his players to respond following back-to-back defeats across all competitions.

“That was the deal at the start of the year. You want to get yourself in the position to go and win a league. It’s going to take big moments, it’s going to take confidence, it’s going to take belief.

“As a unit, there’s huge potential here. These lads have worked hard. They’ve got us into this position. They’ve lost two league games all year, but there’s 13 big ones to go.

“I got a lot of people telling me last week how great we were in Bray; it’s not worth anything, they got the points, we lost 2-0, so we’ll have to learn from that and move on.”

For the first time since March, the attendance at Oriel surpassed the 2,000 mark during Dundalk’s FAI Cup clash with Sligo—an encouraging turnout that Kilduff hopes offers a glimpse of what lies ahead, as the club sets its sights on a swift return to the Premier Division following last season’s relegation.

“There’s great belief now, but we have to just lick our wounds and go back to the drawing board. We’re four clear at the top of our division, trying to win it, so that we’ll have weeks like this every week here in Oriel, not just one good glamour tie against a Premier Division team.”